Outpatients

Outpatient clinics and services provide health care to patients who do not require admission to hospital.

These services allow for examination or treatment as well as the provision of care for patients with complex or chronic conditions who benefit from a multidisciplinary approach.

Services are provided by a range of healthcare professionals including medical, nursing and midwifery, and allied health staff. You may see these healthcare professionals together or separately depending on your needs. We may also need to refer you to other hospital services, including the:

Managing outpatient appointments during COVID-19

South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) continues to review how to manage its readiness and response to the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation.

Reducing face-to-face patient interaction in our hospitals is one way to maximise patient and staff safety.

Where practical, some outpatient appointments are now being delivered by telephone rather than onsite within the hospital. Suitable patients will be informed via a telephone call that their appointment will now be delivered by telephone.

Information for referrers

Outpatient audit

South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) is commencing an outpatient reform project in July 2019.

In preparation for this, SMHS outpatient waitlist data is being audited to provide an accurate picture of the number of referred patients awaiting their first outpatient appointment. Read more about this audit (external site).

Referrals and appointments

An outpatient appointment is made after your General Practitioner (GP) or specialist refers you for treatment, or if you need further treatment after being discharged from hospital.

Information about your outpatient clinic appointment will be sent to you by letter. Most clinics also send an SMS reminder to your mobile phone in the week before your appointment.

Sometimes the hospital will contact you by phone. This is usually when your appointment is in less than 7 days.

Please do not attend your outpatient appointment if you have any of the following symptoms:

flu like symptoms eg. fever, cough or a sore throat

sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhoea

generalised unexplained rash.

You should visit your GP and reschedule your clinic appointment.

If your condition gets worse before your appointment

Please see your General Practitioner (GP) if your condition gets worse before your specialist appointment or in between appointments.

Your GP will be able to contact medical staff at the hospital for advice or can help you decide if you should go to the emergency department.

What should I bring?

Please bring:

your outpatient letter – please hand this to the receptionist

any relevant x-rays or laboratory results

any aids you may require (spectacles, hearing aids etc)

Medicare card

Healthcare card

Repatriation benefits card

immunisation records

a list of any questions you want to ask the specialist.

For paediatric patients, the primary caregiver (parent or legal guardian only) must attend the appointment

Friends, relatives or carers are also welcome to attend the appointment with you.

voluntary transport – on your first appointment, ask your FSH health care professional about voluntary transport services. You can also phone the Helpdesk on 6152 2222 and ask to speak with the Outpatient Transport Supervisor.

FSH Courtesy Buggy

Walking across the Fiona Stanley Hospital Campus can be a long walk for some people.

The Courtesy Buggy, when available, does a continuous circular route taking in all the car parks.

To request the buggy, you can either:

contact the Helpdesk on 6152 2222 and speak with the Outpatient Transport Supervisor.

ask a passing volunteer

use the call buttons located by pay machines and on the bridges from car parks 2 and 5.

To access a wheelchair

To access a wheelchair, it is recommended you are dropped off at the set down point at the main hospital entrance (near Jamaica Blue). Our staff and volunteers at Reception will be able to assist you.

Staff and volunteers located at Main Reception and Main Outpatients reception are available to assist with directions.

Outpatient clinics and their locations are listed below.

Outpatient clinics 1-8, ground floor (OutPts, G)

If your letter directs you to Clinic 1-8 OutPts, G, you should enter the hospital via the main entry off Robin Warren Drive and follow the signs to the outpatient clinic reception desk. Coming from the main entrance it is the second desk on the right.

Education and State Rehabilitation Service clinics

If your letter directs you to the following clinics, please visit the reception desk located in the following buildings and floors: